Paying the Devil
by PinkWhirlWind
Summary: Ken poisons himself as Nagi's price for freeing Aya/Ran... Now Aya has to save him.
1. Default Chapter

Paying the Devil By Nix Winter  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kruez. I'm just playing when I should be writing something to submit somewhere.  
  
Paying the Devil  
  
Nagi swirled the vial around in his fingers. It was just the three of them. Nagi with the poison, and the gun. Aya, bound to what was once a dentist chair, effective ball gag holding his tongue down. Nagi had taken great care to roll up one sleeve, to run a nail slowly down the vein. Violet eyes glared at him, ice cold, furious. Ken paced in a cage, not more than five feet from where Nagi played with Aya's arm.  
  
"It's painful," Nagi said, relishing the flash of fear in Aya's eyes, the rage building in Ken. "It takes days, to kill. I've seen it work. Grown men crying there at the end. Just terrible. I only have enough for one of you. Which should I give it to? What do you think?"  
  
The sounds coming out around Aya's gag could only have been described as obscene. Nagi, so sweet and small picked up a syringe from the little metal table. "Oh, Aya-chan! You're so sweet to volunteer!"  
  
"NO! Leave him alone!" Ken grabbed the bars of the cage, shaking it with all his strength. "No! Leave Aya alone!"  
  
"Ken?" Nagi said, eyes narrowing. "What would you do to see Aya free? To see Ran free?"  
  
"Anything! What do you want me to do?"  
  
Aya screamed under the gag, struggled furiously against bonds holding him. Tears of fury or fear, or both making his eyes shine.  
  
Nagi wanted revenge against the world, not really death. Death was too easy, to comforting. "I will even give you both a chance, a slender little chance. There is an antidote to the drug. We don't have it here. We don't need such things. It will take a week to kill. That gives you a great deal of time to find the antidote. I will even let you go free. Both of you."  
  
"Why? What do you want!" Ken snarled, refusing to look at Aya's eyes, because he already knew that he'd do whatever Nagi asked.  
  
"Because I like to think of you struggling to survive," the smile on that teenage face was emotionless, vicious. "I will enjoy news of your death."  
  
"Bastard," Ken spat back, wishing it were stronger, wishing he could just reach out and break that neck. "Fucking bastard!"  
  
"Probably," Nagi agreed, tapping the needle with the back of his nail, to get the air bubbles to come up. "Take the nice little drug, I'll set Aya's locks to release in fifteen minutes. The outer door will open. I'll be gone. Stick around long enough, Brad and Schu will be back. I don't think they'll be," Nagi cleared his throat, "Amused."  
  
They could wait for Krittiker to find them. Youji and Omi were surely looking. Ken had seen the way Schuldig looked at Aya though. If they waited here long, Aya would get hurt. Ken started rolling up his sleeve. "Give me the drug."  
  
Aya screamed, and still could not free himself. Flush from fury colored his face, red dripped from his wrists where he turned them, scraping and tearing the skin of his wrists to get free. Nagi smiled as he floated the syringe through the bars. "It might sting a little, going in. The last person I gave that to down right screamed, kitty."  
  
Ken caught the syringe, held it for a moment between trembling fingers. This was the end of his life. He had to think of it that way. Was he willing to pay with his life for Aya's? He let himself look in Aya's direction. Dark chocolate eyes begged forgiveness, begged salvation. If anyone could get him through this, to the other side of dying, it was Aya. The fury in those violet eyes hurt though. He wanted to apologize, explain. He could not allow Aya to be hurt. Quickly, the needle jabbed into his arm, slipping into a vein. Aya screamed more, the chair he was bound to shook. The amber fluid disappeared into Ken's body. 


	2. two

Paying the Devil By Nix Winter  
  
Disclaimer: Am just playing. Don't own these characters  
  
Aya went still. It was too late to prevent the poison from entering Ken. He had to concentrate on getting it out. The bars against Ken's back seemed to hold him up, but Aya watched him slide down towards the floor as Nagi walked way. The boy was laughing, delighted with himself. Aya, knowing that Ken had traded his life for his, did not know how to describe how he felt.  
  
The next fifteen minutes were excruciating, filled with Aya's struggles to free himself and the shaking that took Ken. Fifteen minutes of waiting to see if the youngest Schwarz would keep his word, or not.  
  
When the restraints finally released, Aya grabbed the key to Ken's cage from the little table, knocked it over, and ran, skidding on the wood floor. His nerves rebelled at movement so soon after such a long restraint and his fingers shook as he tried to get the key into the hole. "Ken! Hidaka! You had better talk to me!"  
  
Ken lay on his side, knees drawn to his chest, sweat already sticking brown hair to his face. "Aya," he gasped, then groaned, arms tightening around his chest. "Aya, you have to get away!"  
  
"Fool," Aya growled, kneeling, fingers pressed to Ken's pulse. He would have done the same for Ken, easily, but Ken's life was worth so much more than his own. "Give me your arm!"  
  
Ken didn't resist when Aya pulled his arm out, examined the injection site. Already the skin was purpling, bruising. Aya suddenly didn't want this, didn't want Ken to be hurt at all. "Ken! Why? Oh god."  
  
"Schuldig," Ken whispered, wondering why the room was so cold. Aya took hold of him by his shirt, and hauled them both to their feet. That he'd expected, then to be thrown over Aya's shoulder maybe. He hadn't expected, to feel one arm go around his back, another strong arm slip under his knees, or to feel Aya's cheek press against his forehead. "I couldn't let him hurt you," Ken murmured, not sure if he said it out loud, or not.  
  
"And you think this doesn't hurt," Aya snarled, carrying the limp body of his teammate, of his, he didn't know what to call Ken, but he kicked the door to the cage open roughly and carried Ken out. One usually strong arm fell, dangling as Aya carried him out.  
  
True to Nagi's word, the outer door was open, but they were . somewhere that Aya didn't recognize. In a forest, maybe miles from anywhere, let alone a hospital. He turned to look over his shoulder, to consider if there could be a way to contact Youji or Omi, but Crawford and company would be back soon. Running, Aya took off into the forest, picking a direction that felt right. Ken would not die. Aya would not let him.  
  
Aya ran for maybe an hour, felt like longer. He was conscious of Ken's breathing against his chest, of the soft brown hair brushing against his throat. The sun had started to set in that time and Aya found himself at the edge of a lake. Mist covered it, as the warm evening air drew the mountain lake up to itself. He also found a boat, just a little metal rowing boat, but he set Ken in, so that Ken's head would rest against his knee as he rowed. It would cover their tracks, break the line of tracking. Aya rowed with all his strength, taking them into the mist. "I'll take care of you, Ken. Trust me."  
  
Ken murmured, fingers seeking the edge of Aya's pantleg. Without opening his eyes, he mouthed, soundlessly. "I do." 


	3. three

Paying3  
  
Disclaimer: Wahhh I still don't own them, and I'm just practicing my writing and trying to make someone smile.  
  
Author's Notes: This story is written for Shumea-chan. Lovely to see Shushu happy.  
  
Yes, I know, Aya-chan is Fujimiya's sister's fandom name. Chan however is not a part of someone's name, and as I'm writing in English, I probably ought not use it at all. But anyway, calling Ran-san, Aya-chan was delivered as an insult from Nagi to him. This Nagi doesn't particularly like Aya/Ran and would sooner have his tongue pierced with a pencil than call him Aya-kun. He wants to know if he looks like Omi... And gosh that leads my over active imagination to my Omi muse being all concerned for Nagi, poor lonely little one, and Omi never noticed how cute he is. Omi: "He did save Aya-kun and Ken-kun, didn't he? Oh! I have email!"  
  
Nagi: *crosses arms, eyes trying to look cold and distant, hoping Omi will notice him anyway*  
  
And NAH.. That's another story.  
  
Paying the Devil. 3/?  
  
Fujimiya rowed. The mist surrounded them, hiding the shore from them, them from the shore. Aya's muscles ached, pull, push, move the water. The oars slapped the water as quietly as he could make them. Ken's breathing seemed louder to him.  
  
So many images flickered through Aya's mind. Ken at the park, ball under his foot, sweat and sunlight. He could remember wanting to see Ken play, not with some kids at the park, but really play. To be back in a stadium, Aya wished, shoving the oars hard. He wanted that now, wanted to see the life and bright light that was Ken shine again.  
  
Mist covered them, laying like a cool blanket over Ken's stretched out body. The missed seemed to be thicker and the sound of falling water grew louder, so Aya wasn't surprised when the little boat ran aground. He was surprised when Ken lifted his head though, eyes dark with confusion, face tight. "Where are we? Did we get away?"  
  
Aya gave a curt nod. "Don't know where we are. On a lake. Trying to get to a phone."  
  
Ken sat up, rocking the little boat, holding his weight on one hand. Aya stood and jumped out into the water. It soaked him up to his knees, melted snow wicking up his pant legs. He caught the front of the boat and pulled it farther up on the gravely shore.  
  
"A phone?" It made sense, as he said it, that they'd want a phone. Ken's mind was too fogged though, so sluggish. As the little boat ground against the gravel, Ken looked around, tried to pull himself onto the bench Aya and been sitting on and slipped, hitting his shoulder and seeing stars. "Aya, they'll be after us. Go get help."  
  
There was a narrowing to Aya's eyes that communicated so effectively that he was angry. Ken didn't understand why. It made more sense for Aya to go, get help, come back with reinforcements. It was safer for Aya. "Am not leaving you," Aya said, cold, but not emotionless, sharp. Ken's vision had to be funny, he decided, because Aya's eyes were shiny. "Ken Hidaka, you are going to be okay."  
  
Ken felt the boat drop away from him, and only realized it was because Aya was lifting him up again after he was chest to chest with the swordsman, held and carried backwards over the water to the shore. His arm throbbed where he'd injected the drug. Both arms hung down, his feet dragged on the gravel. It was humiliating, but his head hung back, brown hair feathering over Aya's strong fingers at the back of his neck. He wanted to say, 'Yes, sure, of course,' To agree. He was going to be okay. If anyone could make that happen, Aya could. He just felt so unreal as Aya slipped an arm under his knees and lifted him again.  
  
He'd never thought of Aya as very tender. The arms holding him, his only tether to life, he felt, they were very tender, strong, demanding as they held him, refused to let him go. Time had no meaning. He didn't know how long Aya carried him, or if he slept or not. But he knew when Aya set him down, leaning him carefully against at tree. It was so dark, Aya so pale. It made his eyes vivid, his hair look like an angry sunrise. A smile twitched at Ken's lips and slender fingers touched the smile. "You have the strongest spirit, Ken-kun," Aya whispered, quiet words only between the two of them, calling him Ken-kun with so much meaning. "Stay here. There is a campfire less than a hundred feet from here. I will return."  
  
Aya's footsteps faded into the quiet of the forest so quickly. It left Ken feeling as if he were the only person on the planet, as if no one would ever seek him or hear from him again and he couldn't even lift his hand to wipe away the hot slipping down his cheeks. He would have done it still, knowing he'd be lost and helpless in the forest. Aya. The world without Aya, or with a Aya hurt as deeply as Schuldig would have, was not a world Ken could have lived in.  
  
"Damn it, Ken! Don't go to sleep!" Aya growled, having come out of no where, his hand taking hold of Ken's shirt, shaking him slightly.  
  
Ken opened his eyes, tried to take a deep breath, wondered why his lips were tingling. It was like that lip gloss Omi had had once, too much mint, only this time there wasn't any gloss. "Aya."  
  
"Yeah, Ken, stay awake." Aya must have been very close because Ken could hear the cell phone he'd gotten from somewhere ringing. Omi answered. "Moshi Moshi!"  
  
"Omi. It's Aya." Quickly, he told them what forest they were in, how many miles from the high way, what direction, the details Nagi had given about the poison. "Hurry."  
  
"Aya! How did you get away? Who is Seigo Nakao?"  
  
"The very pissed camper I borrowed the phone from, very likely," Aya replied, not the slightest hint of guilt in his voice. "Bring changes of clothing, blankets, first aid kit."  
  
"I know how to do this, Aya-kun! Is Ken-kun okay?" Omi sounded worried, even through the phone though, Ken could hear Omi's typing, searching for the antidote. For the first time since he'd injected himself, Ken began to have real hope.  
  
"He will be. Hurry up, Omi," Aya cut the connection, lifted Ken in his arms, and carried him back to the campfire. He had to return the phone and he'd just borrow the fire and some of their blankets in the mean time. 


	4. four

Paying the Devil 4/5  
  
By Nix for Shumea-chan  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own WK. I'm just practicing and playing! However, I got my SAT scores back today and I got a 1250 and a 770 on the Verbal! *is happy*  
  
Notes: Uh.. None that I can think of now  
  
Paying the Devil 4/5  
  
Aya stood at the edge of the little clearing lit by the campfire. The two campers looked back at him, anger and caution not quite overcoming human trust. The man was a Japanese, wearing just black pants and a black dragon on his shoulder. He watched Aya as if the red head might be some kind of biting insect. The woman though, she held the long handled metal spatula with the metal end in the fire, stirring around the coals, hardly hiding the intent to use the spatula as a rather effective branding iron if Aya got too threatening. He held the phone out by the antennae. "I brought it back."  
  
The man grunted an acknowledgement as he got to his feet. He crossed to Aya and took the phone. "Did you call for help? What happened to your friend?"  
  
"Snake bite," Aya replied, thinking it wasn't completely untrue. "Can we sit down by your fire?"  
  
The woman stood. "I'll get the first aide kit. You should have just asked, you know? We would have helped."  
  
Aya looked down, vision caught by the fire, the sound of Ken's soft muffled sounds of pain holding his attention. He knew he should have just asked. He held his wounded trust in humanity in his arms. Just asking had seemed too very risky. "I'm sorry. Help is coming. If we paid you, would you go down to the highway and wait for them?"  
  
She opened the kit. "Set him down. You look like you're about ready to fall over anyway. Are you hurt?" Looking through the little kit, she went from top to bottom and found Band-Aids and antibiotics, some salt tablets and some smelling salts. "I don't really have anything for a snake bite. What kind of snake was it?"  
  
Exhaustion bit into Aya as he knelt to lay Ken on the blanket the man had spread out by the fire. A blue line, faint by there, showed around Ken's lips. Aya held his wrist, counted his racing pulse, and mentally commanded Youji and Omi to get there, to hurry, even though they were a good fifty miles from Tokyo. "I don't know what kind it was, but it was black. It was going to bite me, but Ken got in the way," Aya said, confessing to total strangers, in his own way. "Our friends are coming now. Can you wait for them?"  
  
"I don't think we can get this guy out on the bikes," she said, squatting down to look at Ken. "I suppose we could go back to the highway. It's a good twenty miles. Are you friends coming from Tokyo? Are you sure you want to be alone?" She said it as if she were hiding some kind of secret, something Aya should know, but that she didn't want to say so the barely conscious Ken could hear.  
  
"He's going to be okay," Aya protested, the tips of his fingers lightly touching the blue around Ken's lips. "Yes, I'm going to be fine. Thank you for helping us."  
  
"Keep my phone, but I'm gonna bill you for the minutes. There is water, food in the cooler. Use what you want," the man said, slipping into his shirt, tying it at the side. "I'm leaving my katana in the tent. Use it if you need to. Don't dishonor it."  
  
Aya blinked, mouth dropping open. Ken's hand came up, batting at the air, and Aya caught it without looking, holding it gently.  
  
The woman laughed. "You have an empty katana holster on your back. Maybe the snake stole your sword?"  
  
Ken's fingers closed around Aya's. "The snake might be following us. It would not be wise to be here if it finds us."  
  
The man strapped on his helmet. "The sword has dealt with snakes before."  
  
"You are too generous," Aya said, disoriented by the kindness. "The snake is very dangerous. You should go farther than the highway. Buy flowers from the Kitty in the House Flower Shop."  
  
"Understood." The man lifted his bike off the kickstand, kick started it.  
  
"Here." The woman tossed the key to her bike to Aya. "Hurt it and I'll send you the biggest assed bill you ever saw."  
  
Aya caught the key easily, slipping into a shirt pocket. "I have to finish paying the devil first. Anything that's left, I'll send your way."  
  
She swung on behind her lover and they went out the trail towards the highway, leaving Aya and Ken to the fire and the dark snake filled forest.  
  
"I'm going to gather supplies, Ken. Don't fall asleep."  
  
The fire felt warm. Warmth reminded Ken of soccer fields, of moving that ball around anywhere he wanted to, of green shorts and cold drinks of water. In his fevered dream, he was full on World Soccer League, last game of the season, Japan against the Brits and he was driving towards the goal, evade, spin the ball into the air, head hit and the ball went straight into the net!  
  
Cheering crowd, the yells of his teammates, and slaps on the back, all those paled compared to the red head sitting there, smiling in the stands, next to his sister. Youji sat behind Aya, and he was howling with the crowd, glass down on his nose, waving a pennant in both hands. Omi was there too, jumping up and down, wearing a jersey with Ken's number, and looking like a half grown kid, not like the leader of an assassin group. Ken turned back to his teammates, grinning in the warm sun. He was clean now, his hands free of blood. He'd made it into heaven somehow and heaven had national soccer teams! He always knew it would.  
  
His teammates were still pounding his back, cheering for him. They were world champions!  
  
Clouds began to eat up the sky, chewing it down with teeth made of thunder. He blinked and his teammates were Schwarz, a zombie Kaze. Crawford threw the winning ball up into the air and shot it. Ken screamed and Kaze's rotting hand reached out for him.  
  
Strong arms wrapped around him, holding him, rocking him and he struggled to get free, free of the stench of sweet nauseous death. It wasn't Kaze's voice that chased the gagging away. It was Aya's. "Ken, it's me, Aya. Ken, don't hit me."  
  
"Aya?" Ken closed his eyes in the hallucination that wouldn't let him go completely. Aya's voice, the scent of Aya's sharp fear and sweat, the lean hardness of his chest, and the gentle rocking in his arms, these fought against the zombie Kaze, laughing Schuldig, syringe wielding Nagi. "Aya, I don't want to go to hell. I want to play soccer. I want to be good, a good person."  
  
Ear tails tickled Ken's face, as Aya pulled him up against him, held the nozzle of a sports bottle against his lips. "Drink, Ken. You're feverish and dehydrating. You're not going to hell. We send people there, we don't go ourselves."  
  
Cool water filled his mouth and he swallowed, letting the clean wash down his throat, wash out the memory of hell. Fingers slowly combed through the fringes of his hair, caressing his neck, chasing away the demons. "They're going to find us. You have to go, Aya."  
  
Both arms around Ken now, Aya didn't reply, just sat there rocking him, combing his fingers through brown tangles. "Ken, Omi and Youji are coming. You're going to be okay. I'll play soccer with you, once."  
  
"Crawford shot the ball," Ken sighed. "It was the winning ball. Did you see me make the winning shot? You saw me play, didn't you Aya?"  
  
"I saw you, Ken," Aya lied, shivering as he did, feeling like a black cat had crossed his path. "I'll see you again."  
  
"Can't. No league in hell. Only heaven has leagues. Hell was bared for life cuz of gambling."  
  
The first raindrop hit Aya on the back his neck and rain right down into his shirt, reminding him how chilled he was from stepping into the lake to pull the boat ashore. "It's starting to rain, Ken. We're going to get into the tent."  
  
"There's a tent? I'm losing it, aren't I?" Ken tried to stand as Aya pulled him to his feet, one arm around the small of his back. His feet did hold him, and slowly they walked towards the tent. "Are there hot dogs too?"  
  
"Maybe. Are you hungry?" Aya bent over, holding Ken as his knees gave out and they slipped into the little tent. Ken became to heavy at that angle and he lowered him to the spread out sleeping bag. Ken lay where Aya set him down. One boot lay on his ankle, arms sprawled out bonelessly. Aya inched forward on his knees, and moved the fluffy sleeping back away from Ken's face.  
  
By now the rain made machine gun fire on the tent, wetting through the nylon quickly. Aya slipped out of his shoes and socks, then out of his pants. It was annoying that his own feet were pale, blueish, and he rubbed them to get the blood flowing again. Ken sneezed and he forgot his chilled feet, to work on tucking Ken into the sleeping bag, rolling him onto his back, and tucking the pillow under his head. "Don't get sick. You're a pain when you've got a cold."  
  
Ken snickered, the snicker turning to a cough. "You should talk, Mr. Never- Say-A-Word-Glare-Them-All-to Death."  
  
The sword turned out to be under the other sleeping bag, and Aya set it to the side as he moved the bag closer to Ken and slipped an arm under him. "You're hot. I'm cold. Share."  
  
Ken couldn't find the strength to reply, only moaned softly, as Aya's chilled arms wrapped around him. Taking a part of the pillow with his head, Aya snuggled closer. "Flirting," Ken wheezed.  
  
Aya froze, hand flat against Ken's chest, shocked, completely shocked. "What if I am," he hedged, surprised with himself that he'd allowed Ken's semi-consciousness to fool him into revealing his interest, feelings.  
  
"S'good," Ken whispered. "Like you too."  
  
As the rain fell, they lay there, together, waiting for the sunshine, fighting off the clouds of hell with the quiet chant of each other's breathing. 


	5. five

Paying the Devil 5/5  
  
By Nix for Shumea-chan and her Ken muse  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own them, but if you want to see the ones I do own, please visit www.onepinkrose.com.  
  
Paying the Devil 5/5  
  
"Moshi moshi," Omi answered the phone, holding the cell phone to his ear, as he continued searching the internet using wireless access as Youji drove them towards where Aya had said they were. "Aya-kun?"  
  
"No. My name is Doctor Seigo. I have seen your friends. We're waiting for you on the highway. I spent three years in South American, did part of my internship there."  
  
"Okay," Omi said, not at all sure how that connected to Ken and Aya.  
  
"The red head said you have something to do with a flower shop."  
  
"Yes," Omi agreed, motioning for Youji to be patient.  
  
"Your friend, the one that got bitten by the 'snake'," Dr. Seigo said, his voice strained as if he were about to tell them he were seeing purple elephants or something as unlikely. "I finally remember where I smelled that flowery scent I smelled on his breath. It was used as a death sentence in a small town. Particularly nasty."  
  
Omi bit his lip, fingers tapping lightly against his keyboard. "Do you know the antidote?"  
  
"No, but I kept the patient alive until the poison worked out of her system. Bring me caffeine pills and benadryl. And you'd better get the police after that 'snake'."  
  
"Benadryl and caffeine? Okay. We're hurrying." The line went dead then, quite suddenly and Omi's hair stood on end. Just the way the conversation had been, the intake of breath on the other side. He'd been expecting the doctor to say something else. "Hurry Youji. I think it's bad there." Omi hated when innocent people died. It was even worse when good people died.  
  
The shaking started sometime as the rain let up. Aya held him, soothed his hair, and wished. Ken had stopped responding somewhere in the shaking. Aya grew more frantic. Holding the life of someone he loved in his arms, once again, feeling them slip away, he just wanted to scream. Nagi had said it would take a week. He should have had a week!  
  
A branch broke outside the tent. Aya froze, one hand reaching silently for the hilt of the sword at his back. Assassin senses suddenly at hyper vigilance, he smelled blood. Fresh blood. Ken brought both hands up to hide his face, blocking some blows that only the soccer player could see.  
  
A red dragon, Aya pulled away, curling up onto his knees, barefooted, wearing just his shirt and boxers, he pulled the sword free of the safety, paused, then caught the distinctive scent of expensive wool suit, no wet and standing too close to the fire. Aya drew the sword, slashing through the front of the tent, breaking the little tent pole, and leaving him there in the rain, wearing his borrowed sword and a protective frightening hatred.  
  
Crawford smiled, a ghost dragon in white Armani. Farfarellow attacked from behind, jumping over the still shaking Ken, to barely dodge Aya's reverse double handed thrust. The Irish man danced back as Aya spun and extended the thrust.  
  
Using a pair of sai, three pronged Chinese daggers, Farfarello caught Aya's katana and tried to force it down towards the ground. Ken's arm lashed out though, from under the ruined tent to hit one Irish leg, knocking the man just enough off balance that Aya had a quick breath to withdraw his sword.  
  
Schuldig was there, faster than a man should move, simply punching Aya hard in the kidneys, laughing as the red head stumbled forward, sword lower, but still held in defense.  
  
"Mr. Fujimiya," Crawford said, voice thick with American sarcasm. "If you are fast, you might be able to run yourself through with that thing. That is the Japanese way, isn't it? The way to deal with abject failure?"  
  
Schuldig grinned, green eyes glinting hungrily. "No, no. Bad kitty. You're mine."  
  
Ken rolled over, slashing at Schuldig's leg as if he had his claws on. This amused the telepath. It amused him more when he brought his boot down hard on Ken's unprotected hand. Ken howled. "Time to put this kitty to sleep, I think."  
  
Aya lunged, veering at the last minute to spin towards Crawford, who dodged, surprise showing on his face.  
  
The fire sparked as Crawford back stepped. Nagi whimpered and fell, a crossbow bolt in his thigh. Aya had no time to notice the black eye, swollen jaw on the youngest Schwartz. Another bolt came by Schuldig's shoulder, aimed more at his throat than his legs.  
  
Wire flashed and Farfarello grabbed for his throat. Blood already pearled along his pale throat. Schuldig spun, eyes narrowed and Youji gasped, called out for Omi in horror. Farfarello stumbled forward when Youji released him and Schuldig caught him, fingers pulling at the wire around his throat, not caring that their blood mixed together.  
  
Crawford had his pistol now, aimed right at Aya. Aya held his ground, katana pointed just above the impeccable tie. "Kitties only have nine lives," the Oracle said sweetly, "But Black is forever."  
  
Schuldig threw Farfarello over his shoulder and disappeared into the forest. Crawford turned and walked away. Aya wanted to chase him, impale him on the katana, take his head, but somehow, he blinked and the ghost dragon was gone.  
  
Omi came into the clearing, running right to Youji, who grabbed him into a hug, then shoved him away.  
  
Nagi struggled to get into the dark of the forest, but Omi got to him first. Omi noticed the battered face, the wary eyes. "Let us help you," he offered.  
  
Aya didn't notice that either, or Omi probably wouldn't have gotten away with it. He was examining Ken's broken hand. Youji turned the lights on in the jeep that was a few meters back from the camp. Youji felt it then, the connection between Aya and Ken, the rightness between Omi and Nagi. He wasn't an oracle, just a playboy, a lonely playboy, but he drove them back to the city.  
  
Weiss was one bigger, and one antidote smarter. Youji's secrets were safe, even if Aya's secrets and heart weren't quite so hidden. The wire is a sharp weapon, a narrow lie to hold. Near the lights of Tokyo, he found himself watching Aya comfort a sleeping Ken. Whatever else had happened in the forest, Aya had paid the devil, found a bit of freedom in loving Ken. 


	6. Chapter 6

Paying the Devil

Chapter Six

by Nix Winter

Disclaimer: I do not own Weiss Kruez. Alas. Maybe someday, but I don't think they have a layaway plan for buying the rights to something that good.

Notes:

Okay. So… I confess. I'm an Aya/Youji fan and when I write this story my Youji muse gets sad. He's lonely and depressive enough as it is. Would anyone be wildly bothered if it became Aya/Ken/Youji? So like don't reply in your review, that is if you review, but please email me, ne? You can find me at drunkduck(dot)com, screenname inkdancing.

Man.. maybe I'll do Youji/Jewls… Jewls being an oc of mine. considers All things are possible in fan fic smiles Jewls is mine, completely my creation.

Chapter Six

They hadn't gone home to the Koneko. The world was never going to be the same. It wasn't like this was the first time they slow danced with death. Youji'd been on a first name basis with death before one red headed sociopath moved in with Weiss anyway. Those were the days, he thought ruefully. Just Ken, Omi, and him, back then and he thought the item was going to be Ken and Omi.

Omi's recently revealed kink just went far beyond what Youji had expected. And well, Ken, well, Youji always new Ken was gay. Maybe the miracle was that no one had caught onto the fact that he was gay too. Four for Four, what were the odds? Maybe Krittiker gave them all secret personality profiles before placing them together?

Not that Youji really cared all that much. Nothing mattered all that much, not even the lovely sun that was out this fine spring day. Ken was alive, at least.

Poison, stronger than the cure they'd been advised to use. That Swartz brat knew more than he was saying, Youji was sure. Fragile, seemingly somehow honest smoke boiled slowly over his lower lip, curling around and away into a freedom that Youji wished he could get closer too.

Krittiker doctors were the best. They'd slowed the poison and they gave Ken a good month before it killed him. He was drugged stupider than Youji usually thought the little clawed tiger was. The little tiger had everything, and even if he only got to keep it for a month, jealous ate at Youji.

From where he stood on the balcony above the garden, he had a clear view of them both. Ken sat in a wheelchair, leaning a little to the side with Aya next to him. That damn orange sweater and flame red hair, an arm around Ken's shoulders, holding him tenderly, and reading some book, maybe poetry to the poor little invalid. Youji's thumbnail cut through his fingernail.

"Youji-kun," Omi's voice called.

Youji turned, but the image of his teammates comforting each other below was going to be burned into his brain forever, he was sure. He bet they kissed too. Those sweet lips of Aya probably grew hard and demanding against Ken's soft and confused lips. "Hi Omi," Youji greeted his obviously confused Omi-kun. "Did that boy give it up yet?"

Omi nodded solemnly. "Nagi has been very cooperative."

"Damn. Everybody's getting laid, except me," Youji complained, reaching for his pack of cigarettes.

"What?" Omi's face colored. "Why is that on your mind?"

Tapping a new cigarette against the back of his hand. "You're so cute when you blush, Omi-kun. What is Nagi being cooperative about?"

"He's given me the location of a secondary lab," Omi said. "The location has a large power draw. I think we might be able to get the antidote there."

"What? By myself? Just break in and ask nice?"

"Youji! What's wrong with you? Are you okay?"

Turning back to the garden, Youji was just in time to see Aya kissing Ken's cheek. "I'm a jealous and shallow bastard, that's what."

"You had," Omi coughed, "romantic feelings for Ken?"

"No." Youji said, settling his cigarette between his lips. He seemed to only fall in love with poisonous addictions. "Get me the location. I'll leave in a few minutes. I just want to smoke this cigarette, calm my nerves a little more."

"Are you sure you're up to a mission, Youji-kun?"

'Sure,' Youji thought. 'I'll save the life of the man who's taking away whatever little hope I had. Asuka would be proud.' All he said though was, "Yeah. I'm fine. I just get these moods, you know that, Omi-kun. After Ken's okay, I'll be back to my slacker self."

"I'm coming with you," Omi said.

"Don't be stupid. One is enough and if you're not here, who's going to keep Tinker Bell in line? You like him, don't you?"

"Yeah. I think, I think he's just had a hard time. I understand that, understand being angry."

"Yeah, well, get used to not trusting people too, Omi. There isn't one of them that wouldn't betray you in the end."

"You'll never betray us, Youji-kun," Omi declared.

"Yeah," Youji said, non-committally.

A few minutes later, Youji was in mission gear, sunglasses hiding haunted green eyes. He crossed the garden in cocky strides and ignored Aya completely as he squatted down to be at eye level with Ken. He'd known Ken longer than he'd even know Aya, let alone desired him. "Hey, idiot," Youji said affectionately, ignoring the evil glare from Aya.

"Youji! Hi Youji! How are you? I'm dying. Did they tell you?"

"Don't be an idiot. You're not dying. I'm going to get you some medicine right now," Youji pulled his sunglasses down with a black gloved finger. "You're gonna hang out and wait for me to get back, uh?"

"Sure, Youji-kun. I'm in love with Aya and he loves me back. You don't mind, do you? You're okay? I thought he was going to fall in love with you the way you were flirting with him, and I wasn't going to tell him, but then, then I wasn't thinking clear and I couldn't let him be the one poisoned."

"Ken-kun, you're stoned and babbaling. Of course it's fine if you two are together. Be happy, live a long life. I love you like a brother, you know that, right?"

"I love you too, Youji. You're so pretty! You're really coming back, right? I don't like the ghosts in your eyes," Ken said, reaching out to touch Youji's face, only to have his hand lose it's strength and fall to his lap before it reached it's destination. "Don't listen to ghosts, Youji."

"Don't be stupid, Kenji Hidaka. I'm going to kick their asses and get you some medicine, that's all. Fujimiya, you take good care of him. Got me?"

Youji rose and spun on his heel. There was a motorcycle just beyond the garden wall, with all the gear he needed for his mission.

"Kudou!"

Youji didn't slow down until Aya caught his arm. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Original mission is still not complete," Youji said, shaking Aya's hand off his arm. "And we need their data. It's not my fault you fucked up the mission. Now let me go finish what you started."

"You're such a asshole," Aya snapped as Youji opened the gate.

Looking back, the summer sunlight making his hair golden, his eyes jade, giving his whole face a kind of innocence that no one really keeps in life, he said, "Right back at you. Be happy, Ran Fujimiya."

Youji threw his leg over the bike, helmet still strapped to the back rack and was off before Aya could get through the gate. "You too, Youji," Aya whispered, confused, as always, by his older teammate. He guessed everyone had a different devil to pay.


	7. Chapter 7

Paying the Devil

by Nix Winter

disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kruez, but I do love the fandom!

Warnings: I hope there aren't too many discrepancies between the last chapters and this one. I'm just writing for fun. I hope the chapter is pleasant for you.

Notes: As for my assumption that Youji is gay, for one thing this is fan fiction, for two… a psychological argument could be made that his numerous evident sexual relationships with females was done out of guilt, motivated by feelings other than genuine desire. Not saying it is, just that such an interpretation is possible. And really, I'm not much for the RanKen fandom, which sees Youji differently than the AyaxYouji group, but well.. I hope you all like this chapter.

I have three characters that are so close to my heart that, well, I identify with them a great deal. Youji, Duo Maxwell, and Jewls the Lucky, and man, I understand that people don't like Youji, but it hurts my soul. He's my baby, you know? Well, would be if he were more than just ink and cellulous. Alas, maybe that's all I am too, dark pixels on white.

Chapter Seven

Ran was done. He wasn't sure just when it happened, or if he'd stay done, but at this moment, he was done. Revenge held little appeal just then, and he wanted just one thing, hoped for this one thing so much that he knew he'd have more guilt later.

They sat together in the garden, lazy sunlight laying greens and golds around them, speckling it down through the trees around them, as if sunlight could become rain.

Ken had been so close to being cured. So close, it was like breaching the surface only to be dragged back into the dark. Evil men, who would make such vile poisons, take them and make them worse, and Ran touched Ken's hand, caressing back to the smooth skin of his wrist, as if he weren't taking his pulse on the sly, not at all.

Dark brown eyes opened, slowly, lashes still too thick beautiful to be protecting dying eyes. A smile pushed at the corner of Ken's mouth, and his pulse speeded up. Those dark brown eyes, that seemed so full of mystery to Ran, so much as if they were the eyes of some fae king deep in some European forest, lush and full of complexities that no poetic whisper could mimic, those same dark eyes looked away towards a tree then back at Ran.

"You want me to hold you?"

The nod was faint, an echo of great boisterous crashings that should have been Hidaka Kenji.

How had they come to this? It wasn't just the pursuit of evildoers. It wasn't just the evil in their own souls that lead them down the path of violence and regret. It was something more sustaining, something more painful than damnation; it was the clawing and determined will to live and thrive.

Ran was much more now than he'd been when he was just a waiter and an accountant student. He was maybe more than could fit into that role that seemed too small. His body had grown to match his path, muscled arms, speed and balance, he breathed life in a lethal dance that an accountant wouldn't understand. Arms slipped around behind Ken's solidly build powerhouse of a body and lifted him to a standing position, then swept him up easily into his arms.

The security around them, guarding the walls, watching the safe house intently, Ran didn't care for any of them. To him, there was only the two of them, and a deep lingering worry over Youji. The man had been… odd.

He knelt, Ken in his arms and he settled them against the tree, his back against living tolerance of the tree, Ken's head laying against his shoulder. "Better?"

"Yeah," Ken whispered.

"We'll retire," Ran said, hand coming through Ken's dark hair. "No more. I want to go away with you."

"America. Play. Socc…"

"Yes, we can go to America. New names. You can play soccer again. I'll cheer for you. I'll even play with you. You get well, and we can play together. You and me against Youji and Omi."

"Youji. Loves."

"Shhhh," Ran said, both arms around Ken, rocking them both slightly. "He'll get over it."

Ran hadn't meant to come to care for his teammates. He'd almost left them all more than once. After Aya-chan woke though, the walls around his heart had not been so hard. He hadn't meant for her to meet them, his second family. Youji, the meddlesome bastard, had been first.

Shopping. He'd taken Aya-chan shopping and they'd played with lipstick and dresses and she'd come back full of life and happiness and Youji had just smiled like he'd saved a kitten from dire straights. Ran had wanted to be angry, but he couldn't.

Ken had come next, meeting Aya-chan, delighting here as a way to Ran's heart, maybe.

Love was such a complicated set of human behaviors.

Ran leaned a little over Ken, enclosing him in an embrace that felt like the only grounding holding Ran to life. "You're the one in danger, and yet, I'm having my life replay for me. How did you do this to me?"

Ken took a slow breath, fingers reaching up to pull lightly on a red eartail. "Just repaying. The," he paused, taking another long slow breath, "favor."

"Youji will find the real cure," Ran said.

"Youji's ass," Ken said, tilting his head back a little, and Ran's soul fell into those deep brown eyes, "Is cute."

Ran smiled, feeling playful, forgetting the dire risk this lover was in, "It ought to be. It's had lots of practice." Ran wiggled his eyebrows, sharing this secret moment.

Ken's hand dropped away from Ran's eartail, but Ran caught it and drew the limp and to his lips, kissing rough hand, flicked the tip of his tongue against the rough palm, as if to remind Ken that his hands were clean.

They sat there in the shade for a while, Ken laying in Ran's arm. "Ran."

"I'm here."

"Youji," Ken said, fingers lightly caressing Ran's cheek. "Secret."

"I'm sure he has many," Ran said, confused about why his lover wanted to talk about a blond playboy who'd probably slept with half the women in Tokyo and a measurable percentage of the rest of the world. The man was occasionally suicidal and lazy and lacked any sense of commitment. That fate suddenly seemed open to him too, if Ken died here in his arms, he'd mirror Youji more than he could say, just become a worthless shell of a soul."

"Listen," Ken nearly growled. "Friend. He's my friend. Before."

"I understand. He was your friend before I came to the team." Ken was loyal, so loyal, and Ran respected that truly.

"Virgin."

"You?" Ran asked, confused. "Aya-chan? Did Youji sleep with Aya-chan?"

"No." Ken said, and it was moment's more, just laying there, Ran trying not to smolder. "Youji. Liar. He's a virgin."

"That's not possible, Ken," Ran said, not able to put much energy into disbelieving what his love had told him. "He's slept with women, and men, for missions and he's always out on dates. He reeks like a whore of sex sometimes."

"Lies. Hiding. Scared. He's afraid," Ken said, "Don't be mean to him, Ran. Please? Omi's too young to understand and…"

"He's a bastard," Ran said, wanting very much to cut off what Ken was aiming at. "If you die, I'm going to blame him and I'm going to make him blame himself. You have to live."

"You're a bastard," Ken said, but his tone was accepting, and they both knew neither of them believed Ran would carry out his threat against Youji.

"Fine, we can take him with us when we got to America. I'll make him wear a cheerleader dress."

"Short."

"Yeah. Make. Him shave," Ken said, losing his breath as he laughed, "his legs."

"Anything that will make you smile," Ran said, meaning this promise completely.

Youji twitched internally as he waited for the data connection to complete the handshake. Information was the easiest kind of 'kill' and they had been right. This was a one person mission.

As soon as he'd gotten away from watching the lovebirds the intense jealousy and feeling of being left out had evaporated. Ken was his best friend. Omi his little brother. Aya the untouchable love interest. So…. if Aya and Ken found love with each other, that would be okay. Better that way. Safer for everyone's secrets. He didn't really want anyone that close to him anyway.

"You are such a liar," a sultry voice said, slow as sun melted chocolate. "You should listen to your thoughts, sometimes, Kitty, Kitty."

Youji spun. Black mission clothes, small communications room, multi task sunglasses masking predatory green eyes, and he was trapped there, black on black, by the feral red head blocking the door. "Schuldig."

"I'm so flattered and you almost find me attractive too. I think you're pretty hot and I bet that ass of yours is sooo tight."

Youji swallowed, hands on the arms of the chair he sat in. "We let them go because they turned out not to be compatible with our employer's experiment. You, on the other hand might be perfect. Yes, we are manipulative bastards. What compliments. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement for your cooperation?"

Youji turned, looked at his connection that hadn't connected. "Make this connect. Give them the data they need to save Ken."

"Don't feel too bad, Yotan," Schuldig said, using a very familiar form of Youji's name as he leaned over Youji's shoulder to type a code into the computer. "It's very easy to manipulate people's behavior if you have some time to read their thoughts. You're not going to miss anything, really. They'll be happy together and they'll get over you."

"I want to know that Ken's okay," Youji said, moving away from Schuldig's breath on his cheek, "Then I'll cooperate."

"I expected that you would, Sweetheart."

Omi and a doctor ran towards where Ken and Aya still sat, leaning against the tree. "He did it," Omi yelled.

Ran shifted a little, pulling Ken up out of the slouch. "Ken, Youji sent the information!"

The doctor dropped to her knees, swapped Ken's arm and made the injection in one fluid motion. She watched her watch the moment she withdrew the needle. "The information we received said the antidote should take effect within fifteen seconds."

At about fourteen seconds, Ken went stiff, teeth clenched shut on a growl. Both the doctor and Ran reached for Ken's wrists. Twenty-five seconds, the brunette was sitting up on his own, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hot damn, what was that?"

"Let's get you into the clinic and see if it was a more permanent cure than the last one," the doctor said, getting to her feet.

Ran was on his feet almost as fast as she was, holding his hand out to Ken.

The satellite image was fuzzy, but clear enough for Youji to be convinced. Ken walked on his own power, Aya next to him. Omi on the other side.

"He will be fine now," Schuldig promised.

"That's good," Youji said, touching the screen, first Ken, then Ran. "I'll cooperate."

"A man of your word," Schuldig asked, "Or just the easy way out?"

"Does it matter to you?"

"Not really," Schuldig said, is hand moving faster than a mortal, his hand coming around to cover Youji's mouth and nose. Much stronger than the slender blond, he held him until Youji went limp.


End file.
